Today in the MHSAA: 10/13/16
October 13, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Melvindale won its first boys soccer league title ever Wednesday night and Saline won its first volleyball title in what’s believed to be “a long time,” highlighting action from across the state.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Cross Country
From Wednesday, Marquette’s top-ranked girls won their 17th straight Great Northern Conference championship, while the boys, No. 3 in Upper Peninsula Division 1, won their fourth straight league title – Escanaba Daily Press
Boys Soccer
Melvindale clinched its first boys soccer league championship, taking the Downriver League title with a 2-1 win over Brownstown Woodhaven, which entered the night tied for first – Southgate News-Herald
Division 1 No. 11 Detroit Catholic Central claimed the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship with a 4-2 win over Division 2 No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – Oakland Press
Division 1 No. 17 East Kentwood downed No. 16 Grand Haven 2-0 – Grand Haven Tribune
St. Clair downed Marysville 1-0 to avenge last month’s loss to the rival Vikings – Port Huron Times Herald
Volleyball
Reigning Class C champion Bronson, ranked No. 2 this fall, continued another strong run with sweeps of Parchment and Class B No. 3 Buchanan, while Buchanan beat Class D No. 2 Mendon and Mendon swept Parchment – Sturgis Journal
Class A No. 8 Saline clinched a long-awaited Southeastern Conference Red championship with a four-set win over Monroe, moving to 30-4 overall – Saline Post
Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal